3 Reasons Food Manufacturers Should Add Mushroom Powder to Their Products

For brands (and consumers!) who associate their products with a healthy lifestyle, we have a secret way to enhance your nutrition panels: mushroom powder.

Mushroom powder is a vegan-friendly source of important nutrients and a convenient way to add a natural boost of goodness to many products— all without compromising flavor. 

Here are three reasons to add a bit of mushroom powder to your top-selling products—and how to explain those benefits to consumers directly:

1. Mushroom powder contains important vitamins.

While some shake powders contain vitamins, many are focused on protein. Mushroom powder, however, can contain nutritious vitamins the body needs.

For instance, mushrooms contain five of the eight essential B vitamins such as riboflavin (B2), folate (B9), thiamine (B1), pantothenic acid (B5) and niacin (B3). (White and brown mushrooms see significant levels of B2, B3 and B5, especially).

Why is this important? The body isn’t able to produce essential B vitamins on its own in quantities great enough to be beneficial, so the only way we get them is through dietary choices.

These B vitamins help form red blood cells, which carry oxygen and remove carbon dioxide, and also allow the body to turn food into energy. A number of B vitamins are important for a healthy brain too. Learn more about the roles of individual B vitamins here.

In addition to B vitamins, mushrooms can contain vitamin D if grown under the right circumstances. 

Unlike other fruits and vegetables, the penetrable tissue of mushrooms responds to light similar to the way people do: by increasing vitamin D content when exposed to sunlight. Mushrooms grown under sunlight, or exposed to specially devised ultraviolet lights, provide a powerful boost of the sunshine vitamin when eaten— even in the form of powder (but ONLY if the powder was made from High Vitamin D mushrooms). Learn more about how mushrooms become high in vitamin D here. 

Vitamin D can help to improve bone health, boost the immune system, and possibly decrease the chance of developing certain cancers and other ailments. Consumers can learn more in our article, “4 Big Reasons to Add Vitamin D to Your Diet this Year,” to discover the astonishing benefits of this essential vitamin. For more information about how regular mushrooms become High Vitamin D mushroom powder, check out this resource. 

2. Mushroom powder is growing in popularity in the retail market.

Because of the incredible nutritional benefits mushroom powder has to offer, many food manufacturers are mixing it into products to appeal to health-conscious consumers. Consumers enjoy sneaking vitamins and nutrients into their family’s everyday meals and snacks, while retailers are happy to serve the growing demand of their shoppers.

Simply put, major brands across the country are capitalizing on the secret kingdom of fungi, using the power of the mighty mushrooms: not quite plant, not quite vegetable, but a true contender of its own. By adding mushroom powder to your products, you are matching (or hopefully one-upping) your competition’s nutrition panel with a unique add-on. 

3. Mushroom powder can be added to a variety of foods without compromising flavor. 

Another big reason to consider adding mushroom powder to your products is that a little amount goes a long way. When making our mushroom powder at Monterey Mushrooms, 15 pounds of fresh mushrooms makes about 1 pound of powder. 

With the right amount of powder, you won’t have to worry about ruining the flavor of your next product. While fresh mushrooms can boast a distinct taste— often referred to as “umami,” resembling the robust, savory taste of meat— mushroom powder can integrate quite unnoticeably when using proper blending ratios. For instance, when mixed into smoothies or shakes in small portions (say, one half to one teaspoon), it provides full nutritional benefits with a hardly-detectable flavor.

In other situations, mushroom powder may enhance the flavor of a meal or product. That umami mouthfeel works perfectly in a variety of foods: soup, gravy, chocolate breakfast bar, pasta sauce and more. Adding a larger serving of the powder can give your meal a boost of savory richness.

Mushroom powder blends excellently into:

• Smoothies and/or shakes
• Soups and broth
• Coffee and hot chocolate
• Sauces and gravy
• Breakfast cereal
• Yogurt
• Applesauce, especially if there are additional flavors, such as cinnamon, added
• Chili and casseroles
• Spaghetti sauce
• Anything chocolate, such as brownies!

Request a Mushroom Powder Sample

It’s easy to change the 0% Daily Value for vitamin D on your nutrition facts tables to an eye-catching 20% with the simple and natural addition of Monterey’s “High Vitamin D“ mushroom powder.

Our powders can be selected in a variety strengths, from no-D to up to 15,000 IU/gram vitamin D, and can be made from your choice of White, Baby Bella and Portabella varieties.

Request a High Vitamin D mushroom sample and experiment with adding this nutritious ingredient to your best-selling products— for instant consumer appeal.

Curious to learn more about vitamin D and other nutrients found in mushrooms? Download our Free Everything You Need to Know About Vitamin D & Mushrooms ebook, today!

Learn More About How to Get Our High Vitamin D Mushrooms On Your Shelves: